Nasal appliance.



G. BOXLEY, DECD.

w. a E. sonou. EXECUTORS.

NASAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION men FEB. 21, 1911.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

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Qe o ga'e .Boacdey tinrrnn stains rarest oration.

GEORGE BOXLEY, 0F TROY, NEW YORK; WILLIAM BOLTON AND IDA ELLA BOLTON EXECUTORS 0F SAID GEORGE BOXLEY, DECEASED.

nAsAL nrr'nmnon Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 27, 1917. Serial No. 151,330.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE BoxLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaerand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nasal Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

There are a great many adults and a large number of children at the present time who are troubled with stricture or collapse of the ala of the nose against the septum thereby preventing proper breathing through the nostrils. This induces mouth breathing especially during the sleeping hours which is well known to be very injurious to health as it causes early decay of the teeth, foul breath, and catarrh which latter is sure to prevail when the air passages of the nose vigilance is removed and the ala of the nose collapses against the septum thereby shutting off the supply of air and causing breathing through the mouth. The present invention, therefore, aims to provide a nasal appliance by the use of which collapse of the ala of the nose is effectually prevented and which appliance will not prove uncomfortable nor be conspicuous and may, therefore, be worn during waking hours as well as during sleeping hours.

Briefly stated, the appliance embodying the present invention is designed for application to the cartilage of the nose and ineludes members designed to so seat in the nasal passages as to brace the ala and prevent collapse thereof without, however, expanding the nostrils as is the case in the use of appliances of this nature heretofore devised.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating in a general way, the manner of using the appliance,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the appliance in use,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating that form of the appliance designed for use by adults, 7

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the appliance shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the appliance,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of that form of the appliance designed for use between infancy and puberty.

As indicated clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the appliance, as designed for use between infancy and puberty, may be made in r a wide range of sizes suitable for use by. in

fants and children of diifcrentages. After puberty, the nose and nose cavity becomes gages depending, of course, upon the size of the appliance as a whole. In both forms of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the w1re is bent between its ends to form an open gripping bridge indicated by the numeral 1, the spaced portions of the wire at the open side of the bridge being bent as at 2 to extend upwardly in slightly diverging lines, as indicated by the numeral 3, the bends 2 being spaced apart a distance less than the maximum' diameter of the bridge 1 so that the cartilage at the lower edge of the septum of the nose may be received within the bridge and the bends 2 may engage over the upper side of the cartilage so as to support the appliance upon the nose, the portions 3 extending up into the nostrils as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Beyond the upper ends of the portions 3, the wire is bent to extend forwardly and then upwardly and finally rearwardly, as indicated by the numeral 4 so as to provide forwardly extending portions designed to engage in the forward sides of the nasal passages at their lower ends, as shown in Fig. 2. From the portions 4:, the wire is bent to extend directly rearwardly as at 5 and these portions 5 are preferably substantially parallel and approximately at right angles to the plane occupied by thebridge and portions 3. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, which form is adapted, as before stated, for use between infancy and puberty, the terminal portions of the wire are bent to extend downwardly and slightly forwardly, as at 6 from the portions 5 and terminate in coiled eyes 7, the portions 6 being bowed laterally outwardly so as to support thealla of the nose and prevent collapse thereof. In that form of the appliance shownin Figs. 1 to 5, however,

which form is designed for use by adults, the'terniinal portions of the wire are bent downwardly as at 8 from the rear-ends of the portions 5 and thence are bowed laterally as at 9 and thence extended upwardly and inwardly as at 10 and terminate incoiled eyes 11. Thetportions 8, 9, @and 10 form an open supporting loop which is more or "lesssyieldable andwhich occupies a transverse plane with relation to the device as a whole and is designedto seat within the nasal passages and extend'transverselyJtherefo f-as shown in Fig. 2 to-h'oldthe walls of 1 the passages properly distended and to pre- 7 vent their collapse. The eyes 7 -and 11, of

-1course, prevent injury-to the 'walls of the nasal passages" in :the' act of applying and z 52 0 removing the device.

-A's before stated, the appliance embodying the presentinvention' is not intended to act asa means for expanding the nasal passages but,on the other hand,- serves merely to-support the ala against'collapse upon the septuin. In other words, it'serves toin'aintain l the walls of-the nasal passages in their natural condition.

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new is:

1. An appliance of the class described formed from a length of wire bent between its ends to provide a gripping portion, and spaced upwardly extending portions, the

wire beyond the upper ends of the said spaced portions being bent to extend for wardly and upwardly and thence reartend forwardly and upwardly and thence rearwardly, the wire beyond the rear ardly extending portions being bent to extend downwardly and thence laterally and finally upwardly to form yieldable supporting loops.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

GEORGE BOXLEY.

1 :Gopies 'ofthis'patentvmay be obtained for :five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' -Washington, D. C. 

